The state unit of Bharatiya Janata Party has asked state government to start distribution relief fund as farmers in the drought hit villages, particularly in Bundelkhand, need immediate government support. “The Union government has already released Rs 934.32 crore as drought relief fund. This fund needs to be distributed at the earliest because the state government is in a habit of forgetting distribution of relief funds,” BJP spokesman Vijay Bahadur Pathak said in lucknow on Tuesday.
He said that last year too, the Centre had sent over Rs 900 crore as calamity relief fund after the crop was washed out due to unseasonal rains in February and March, but the UP government only distributed 23 per cent of the funds.
“When relief was distributed, farmers got cheques of Rs 30 and Rs 50. This is a mockery of relief exercise and the state government should ensure that this is not repeated,” he said. Pathak said though the SP government claimed itself as the friend of farmers, but the latter are the worst hit in this regime. “The government has only extended lip service by branding this year as ‘Kisan Varsh’ . In reality, the state government has not taken any concrete step to ameliorate the grievances of the farmers,” Pathak charged.
The BJP spokesman said that the government failed to clear cane arrears for years which forced the farmers to block the Delhi-Moradabad and Delhi-Dehradun highways to attract attention. Farmers are not getting seeds and only 42.99 per cent farmers have got wheat seed. “This government is on an advertisement blitzkreig projecting itself as a doer. But the fact is that the people, especially the farmers, are suffering in this regime. If the state government fails to take corrective steps, it will be dismantled in no time,” said Pathak.